US10825355B2 - Toothbrush orientation system - Google Patents
Toothbrush orientation system Download PDFInfo
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- US10825355B2 US10825355B2 US15/753,370 US201615753370A US10825355B2 US 10825355 B2 US10825355 B2 US 10825355B2 US 201615753370 A US201615753370 A US 201615753370A US 10825355 B2 US10825355 B2 US 10825355B2
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Images
Classifications
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- G—PHYSICS
- G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
- G09B—EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS
- G09B19/00—Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass
- G09B19/0076—Body hygiene; Dressing; Knot tying
- G09B19/0084—Dental hygiene
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- A46B—BRUSHES
- A46B15/00—Other brushes; Brushes with additional arrangements
- A46B15/0002—Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process
- A46B15/0004—Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process with a controlling means
- A46B15/0006—Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process with a controlling means with a controlling brush technique device, e.g. stroke movement measuring device
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
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- A46B15/0002—Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process
- A46B15/0016—Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process with enhancing means
- A46B15/0022—Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process with enhancing means with an electrical means
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- A46B15/0038—Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process with signalling means
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
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- A46B5/00—Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware
- A46B5/02—Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware specially shaped for holding by the hand
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- A61C—DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE
- A61C17/00—Devices for cleaning, polishing, rinsing or drying teeth, teeth cavities or prostheses; Saliva removers; Dental appliances for receiving spittle
- A61C17/16—Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
- A63F13/20—Input arrangements for video game devices
- A63F13/21—Input arrangements for video game devices characterised by their sensors, purposes or types
- A63F13/211—Input arrangements for video game devices characterised by their sensors, purposes or types using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
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- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
- A63F13/20—Input arrangements for video game devices
- A63F13/24—Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
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- A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
- A63F13/40—Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
- A63F13/42—Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
- A63F13/428—Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
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- A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
- A63F13/85—Providing additional services to players
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
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- A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
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- A63F13/90—Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets
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- A46B2200/10—For human or animal care
- A46B2200/1066—Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures
Definitions
- the invention generally relates to a system for determining the orientation of a toothbrush. It also relates to the structure of a sleeve for receiving a toothbrush.
- a system may be used to monitor brushing techniques and provide feedback to a user related to brushing.
- Previous attempts at monitoring brushing techniques have included attaching a motion sensor to a toothbrush which provides feedback to the user about where in the mouth they are brushing. Often, the motion sensor is permanently attached to the toothbrush, the motion sensor and toothbrush forming one complete unit. If either the toothbrush or the motion sensor stop functioning, the whole unit must be replaced which may be expensive. Where a motion sensor is provided separately from the toothbrush there is a need to provide a technique for permitting easy assembly and disassembly.
- a system for determining the orientation of a toothbrush comprising: an orientation sensor configured for attachment to a toothbrush; one or more processors configured to receive orientation information from the orientation sensor and to determine whether the sensor is in a first orientation or a second orientation; wherein the first orientation corresponds to use of the toothbrush on a surface of teeth on the left of a user's mouth, and wherein the second orientation corresponds to use of the toothbrush on a surface of teeth on the right of a user's mouth.
- orientation data from the sensor can be used to determine whether the toothbrush is being used in the left or right of a user's mouth. It is important to make sure all areas of the mouth are brushed equally for good all round oral hygiene.
- the orientation data can be used to distinguish clearly between left and right portions of the mouth, and this may be used to provide the user with feedback relating to brushing. In certain embodiments the feedback may be used by the user to ensure that both halves of the mouth are brushed equally.
- an attached toothbrush may have a longitudinal axis which subtends an angle on a left side of the plane, and in the second orientation an attached toothbrush may have a longitudinal axis which subtends an angle on a right side of the plane.
- the left and right sides of the plane may correspond to left and right sides of the user's mouth.
- the angle subtended on the left side of the plane of symmetry corresponding to the first orientation may be separated from the angle subtended on the right side of the plane of symmetry corresponding to the second orientation by substantially 180°.
- the front left teeth and front right teeth may be on opposite sides of a plane of symmetry.
- a user brushes the teeth on the left side of the mouth they will typically hold the toothbrush in a substantially horizontal position with the tip of the toothbrush on the left side of the plane.
- a user brushes the teeth on the right side of the mouth they will typically hold the toothbrush in a substantially horizontal position with the tip of the toothbrush on the right side of the plane.
- the difference in angles between the first and second orientations will therefore be approximately 180°.
- the one or more processors may be configured to determine whether the orientation sensor is in a third orientation or a fourth orientation, wherein the third orientation corresponds to use of the toothbrush on an upper surface of the bottom teeth of a user's mouth and wherein the fourth orientation corresponds to the use of the toothbrush on a lower surface of the top teeth of a user's mouth.
- the toothbrush may be moved from the third orientation to the fourth orientation by a rotation of approximately 180° about the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush.
- a user For brushing the top surface of the bottom teeth of the mouth, a user will tend to orientate their hand so that the bristles of the brush are pointing downwards, holding the toothbrush in a substantially horizontal orientation.
- a user For brushing the bottom surface of the top teeth of the mouth, a user will tend to orientate their hand so that the bristles of the brush are pointing upwards, holding the toothbrush in a substantially horizontal orientation.
- To switch between brushing the top and bottom teeth the user will tend to rotate their hand through nearly 180° in order to rotate the orientation of the toothbrush. This action will tend to rotate the orientation sensor about the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush.
- the one or more processors may be configured to determine whether the orientation sensor is in a fifth or sixth orientation, wherein the fifth orientation corresponds to use of the toothbrush on an inside surface of the top teeth of a user's mouth, and wherein the sixth orientation corresponds to the use of the toothbrush on an inside surface of the bottom teeth of a user's mouth.
- a horizontal plane may be defined with respect to the user's mouth.
- an attached toothbrush may have a longitudinal axis which subtends a first angle on an upper side of the horizontal plane
- an attached toothbrush may have a longitudinal axis which subtends a second angle on a lower side of the horizontal plane, corresponding to the top and bottom of a user's mouth respectively.
- the orientation sensor may comprise an accelerometer.
- the one or more processors may be configured to determine the directional pull of gravity using information received from the accelerometer. This may be used by the processors to determine the orientation of the attached toothbrush in space.
- the direction of gravity may be used as an initialisation value to determine the orientation of the toothbrush in space.
- the toothbrush does not need to be in a particular orientation in space before the user can start brushing their teeth.
- the change in the directional pull of gravity can be determined.
- the processors may then be able to determine the first orientation of the toothbrush based on this change in direction of gravity and the initial orientation of the toothbrush.
- the orientation sensor may be detachably coupled to the toothbrush. In this way, the same orientation sensor may be used with a variety of toothbrushes.
- the orientation sensor may be coupled to the toothbrush in a unique configuration relative to the toothbrush.
- the one or more processors may be able to determine the orientation of the attached toothbrush if the orientation of the toothbrush relative to the orientation sensor is known.
- a housing unit is provided to house the orientation sensor and the housing unit may have a mark on it to indicate the front face of the housing unit. A user may then be required to line up the mark on the housing unit with the front face of the toothbrush when coupling the orientation sensor to the toothbrush.
- a mark on the housing unit and the bristles of the toothbrush must be facing the same direction when being coupled together.
- the determination of the first orientation and second orientation by the one or more processors may be used as inputs to control a game on an electronic computing device.
- the determination of the toothbrush in a particular orientation can be used as an input for a game and provide a visual representation of the orientation of the toothbrush.
- the visual representation can be used to provide real time feedback relating to brushing. The feedback may be used by the user to ensure that first and second parts of the mouth are brushed equally.
- the game control inputs can be extended to include some or all of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth orientations.
- orientation information may be analysed and the game may reward the user if different areas of the mouth are brushed equally.
- the game may display toothbrush orientations for the user to imitate.
- the one or more processors may be configured to determine a unique maximum and minimum threshold value for each of the first and second orientations of the toothbrush.
- the threshold values may be unique to a particular user. Since different users do not move the brush in exactly the same way, a first user moving the toothbrush from a first orientation to a second orientation may use different motions to a second user moving the toothbrush from a first orientation to a second orientation.
- the toothbrush system may determine maximum and minimum limits for different users so it is able to distinguish between the motions of a first and second user.
- the one or more processors may be configured to store, and later recall, the maximum and minimum threshold values associated with a particular user, In this way, the game may adapt and the visual effects may be adjusted according to the unique style of the particular user.
- a method of determining the orientation of a toothbrush comprising: attaching an orientation sensor to a toothbrush; configuring one or more processors to receive orientation information from the orientation sensor and determining whether the sensor is in a first orientation or a second orientation; wherein the first orientation corresponds to use of the toothbrush on a surface of teeth on the left of a user's mouth, and wherein the second orientation corresponds to use of the toothbrush on a surface of teeth on the right of a user's mouth.
- a toothbrush holder comprising: a sleeve for accommodating a toothbrush having a relatively narrow upper end and a relatively broad lower end, wherein the sleeve has a shape that is flared outwardly between the upper and lower ends; and a base for supporting the sleeve in a vertical orientation; wherein the lower end of the sleeve comprises an elastic inner wall and an outer wall which are spaced apart to allow the elastic inner wall to flex toward the outer wall.
- the gap Spacing the elastic inner wall apart from the external wall creates a gap between the two components.
- the gap surrounding a portion of the flexible sleeve, allows for greater flexibility at the thicker end of the sleeve, which would otherwise be relatively rigid. This makes it easier for the user to insert and remove a toothbrush from the toothbrush holder, while allowing the toothbrush holder to have a broad base that can effectively support the toothbrush holder and an attached toothbrush in a vertical orientation.
- the internal and external wall may form part of a single continuous structure.
- the internal wall is a continuation of the external wall structure surrounding the neck, while the external wall surrounding the internal wall is part of a second structure.
- the toothbrush holder may further comprise a base and a fluid tight internal casing.
- the fluid tight internal casing may be used to house an orientation sensor.
- the fluid tight internal casing may be placed between one end of the sleeve and the base.
- the internal casing may be used to house components that need to be protected against water damage.
- the internal casing may be used to house a variety of electrical components.
- the internal casing may house a charging port.
- the fluid tight internal casing may house at least one LED light.
- the LED light may be configured to transition from a first state to a second state in response to an input from the user. In this way, light may be used to indicate the status of the toothbrush orientation system to the user.
- the light may be coloured or white.
- the status of the toothbrush system may be indicated using predefined light effects which may include, but are not limited to, pulses, blinks, flashes, fading lights, or any combination of effects.
- a part of the internal casing may be constructed from a material which permits light to pass.
- a part of the toothbrush holder may be constructed from a material which allows light to pass through.
- the base of the toothbrush holder may be a substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve.
- the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush When a toothbrush has been inserted into the flexible sleeve, the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush will be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the flexible sleeve.
- the base of the toothbrush holder will be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush and the flexible sleeve.
- the toothbrush holder can be used as a holder for a toothbrush when the toothbrush is not being used.
- FIG. 1 is a front view of a toothbrush in a toothbrush holder
- FIG. 1 a is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a toothbrush holder
- FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a toothbrush holder for housing a toothbrush
- FIG. 2 a is a cross sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a toothbrush holder
- FIGS. 3 a -3 b are schematic diagrams of a first and second orientation of a toothbrush
- FIGS. 4 a -4 b are schematic diagrams of a third and fourth orientation of a toothbrush
- FIGS. 5 a -5 b are schematic diagrams of a fifth and sixth orientation of a toothbrush
- FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a toothbrush orientation calibration process
- FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a mobile device
- FIGS. 8 a -8 b are a flow chart of a software routine for visually displaying orientation information.
- FIG. 9 is a table illustrating the commands of an LED light system for indicating the status of a toothbrush.
- FIG. 1 shows a toothbrush 4 connected to a toothbrush holder 10 .
- the toothbrush holder 10 comprises a thermoplastic elastomer external wall 18 and has a generally frustoconical shape.
- the toothbrush holder 10 At one end of the toothbrush holder 10 is a neck 14 and at the opposite end is a base 12 .
- the diameter of the neck 14 is chosen so that the toothbrush 4 can be inserted into the neck 14 and, once inserted, there will be a snug fit between the neck 14 and the toothbrush 4 . This will prevent the toothbrush 4 moving laterally relative to the neck 14 , ensuring that the toothbrush holder 10 is securely coupled to the toothbrush 4 .
- the base 12 of the toothbrush holder 10 extends further in a radial direction than the neck 14 of the toothbrush holder 10 . This creates a wide base 12 on which the toothbrush holder 10 can stand.
- FIG. 2 shows a cross sectional view of the toothbrush holder 10 .
- the flexible sleeve 20 Extending from the neck 14 , towards the base 12 , is a flexible sleeve 20 .
- the flexible sleeve 20 has a generally cylindrical shape with a closed end 19 opposite an opening 21 at the neck end 14 of the toothbrush holder 10 .
- the flexible sleeve 20 is surrounded by external wall 18 .
- the diameter of the flexible sleeve 20 is chosen so that lateral movement of the toothbrush 4 relative to the flexible sleeve 20 is generally prevented, ensuring a secure coupling between the flexible sleeve 20 and toothbrush 4 .
- the closed end 19 of the flexible sleeve 20 is further surrounded by an internal wall 22 .
- the internal wall 22 and external wall 18 are spaced apart from each other creating a gap 24 between the two walls.
- Internal wall 22 is made from a flexible material, for example a thermoplastic elastomer, allowing the internal wall 22 to move laterally with respect to the external wall 18 .
- the space 24 created between the two walls surrounds the closed end 19 of the flexible sleeve 20 . This allows the internal wall 22 to move in any radial direction.
- the internal wall 22 and external wall 18 come together at shoulder 23 to form a continuous unit.
- the internal wall 22 branches off from the external wall 18 at shoulder 23 so the toothbrush holder 10 is formed from one unit.
- the internal casing 26 is made from a non-flexible material and houses a printed circuit board (PCB) 28 .
- the PCB 28 comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth 4.0/Bluetooth Smart) module 25 and an accelerometer 27 .
- the accelerometer 27 can be coupled to the toothbrush 4 via internal casing 26 within the toothbrush holder 10 .
- a charging circuit (not shown), charging inductor ring (not shown) and Micro-USB charging station 30 are also contained within the internal casing 26 .
- FIG. 2 a shows a cross sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the toothbrush holder 10 .
- the internal casing 26 is formed from a first top piece 26 a located within the external wall 18 of the toothbrush holder 10 , and a second bottom piece 13 located outside the external wall 18 of the toothbrush holder 10 .
- the two pieces 26 a , 13 join together via a snap-on connection, sealing the internal casing 26 .
- the second piece 13 of the internal casing also forms the base 12 of the toothbrush holder 10 .
- the internal casing 26 also comprises an annular protrusion that is arranged to snap into a corresponding annular recess in the wall 18 .
- raw accelerometer data is transmitted from the accelerometer 27 via radio frequency (e.g. Bluetooth) to a mobile device 1 (e.g. smartphone or tablet), illustrated in FIG. 7 .
- a mobile device 1 e.g. smartphone or tablet
- An application running on the mobile device 1 receives the raw sensory data which is fed into an algorithm.
- Processors 29 then compute the orientation of the toothbrush 4 and the part of the mouth being brushed. A more detailed description of how the orientation of the toothbrush 4 is determined will be provided later.
- the base 12 of the toothbrush holder 10 has a generally featureless outer surface. This creates a generally smooth, flat outer surface providing a stable base for the toothbrush holder 10 to stand on.
- the base 12 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 32 of the flexible sleeve 20 helping the toothbrush holder 10 remain stable, even when a toothbrush 4 is inserted.
- the toothbrush holder 10 can be used to store the toothbrush in an upright position while the toothbrush 4 is not in use.
- the user assembles the system 2 , by coupling the toothbrush 4 to the toothbrush holder 10 .
- a marker 16 is provided on the outer surface of the toothbrush holder 10 to help the user insert the toothbrush 4 correctly.
- the marker 16 and the bristles 8 of the toothbrush 4 must line up along the same vertical axis, the vertical axis passing through the centre of the marker 16 and through the centre of the toothbrush bristles 8 .
- the bristles 8 and the marker 16 must also be facing the same radial direction.
- An alternative embodiment of a toothbrush holder 10 is shown in FIG. 1 a .
- An additional marker 15 is provided on the outer surface of the toothbrush holder 10
- a marker is provided on the outer surface of the internal casing 26 .
- the second marker 15 on the toothbrush holder 10 and the marker 17 on the internal casing 26 must line up along the same vertical axis. All three markers 15 , 16 , 17 , and the toothbrush bristles 8 may line up along the same vertical axis. Alternatively, the first marker 16 and toothbrush bristles 8 may line up along a different vertical axis to the second marker 15 and the internal casing marker 17 .
- Information from the accelerometer 27 is sent to the processors 29 which are configured to determine the directional pull of gravity. This information can be used to determine the orientation of the toothbrush 4 in space.
- the processor 29 can then determine the initial orientation of the accelerometer 27 , and therefore also the initial orientation of the toothbrush 4 , based on the orientation relationship between the toothbrush 4 and the accelerometer 27 .
- the initial direction of gravity is used as an initialisation value, from which all other orientations are determined, based on changes in accelerometer data.
- the system 2 Before the user uses the system 2 for brushing their teeth, the system 2 should be calibrated for that particular user. Calibration is done during the training phase, the process of which will be described with reference to FIG. 6 .
- the training phase the user is guided through brushing different parts of the mouth with the aim of covering all positions that the user might be in whilst brushing their teeth (eg standing upright, leaning forwards over a basin), and different speeds (intensities) of brushing.
- the mouth can be split up into six identifiable areas: front surface of left teeth, front surface of right teeth, top surface of bottom teeth, bottom surface of top teeth, inside surface of top teeth, inside surface of bottom teeth.
- raw byte data from the accelerometer 27 is received by the processors 29 and converted to floating point numbers in x, y, and z directions, step S 50 in FIG. 6 .
- Data is recorded in multiples of the Earth's gravity, g.
- Two components of acceleration information in each axis direction are calculated from the raw accelerometer data: gravity and linear acceleration. Gravity is used to help determine the orientation of the toothbrush 4 and linear acceleration is used to help determine the brushing pattern.
- the filter coefficient is given by
- T is the filter time constant
- ⁇ t is the sample update time.
- the linear acceleration in the y and z directions can be calculated in a similar way.
- the square of differences between consecutive samples of linear acceleration in each of the x, y, and z directions is calculated, S 56 .
- the sum of the square of the difference between consecutive samples of linear acceleration in the x, y, and z direction is also calculated, S 58 , to determine whether the user is brushing or not.
- the averages of the change in linear acceleration and the averages of the change in gravity are calculated in each direction during steps S 60 and S 62 respectively.
- a maximum and minimum value is determined during step S 64 .
- the algorithm iterates through all of the 12 constraints; the gravity component and linear acceleration component each have a maximum and minimum value associated with it in each of the three x, y, and z directions.
- the maximum and minimum of the average of the change in linear acceleration, and the average of the change in gravity in each direction are stored and used as thresholds, S 66 , for predicting the orientation of the toothbrush 4 later on.
- the processors 29 will determine which area of the mouth is being brushed, based on the orientation of the toothbrush 4 .
- data from the accelerometer 27 is processed and the resulting data is compared with the thresholds obtained during the training phase for each area of the mouth. If the gravity component and linear acceleration component both fall within the maximum and minimum values of a particular area of the mouth, the processors 29 will determine that the toothbrush 4 is in an orientation corresponding to that location. The processor 29 will then output the area of the mouth being brushed.
- the resulting data is compared with a sample data set of threshold values.
- the user can overwrite the pre-stored sample data set thresholds at any time by completing the training phase.
- FIG. 3 illustrates the first 41 and second 33 orientations of the toothbrush 4 corresponding to the front surface of the left 42 and right 40 teeth respectively.
- a plane of symmetry 36 can be defined with respect to the user's mouth 34 . This plane 36 divides the mouth 34 in half, each half representing the left side and right side of the mouth 34 .
- the user will tend to rotate their hand through nearly 180°, flipping the orientation of the toothbrush 4 so that the tip 6 of the toothbrush 4 is now on the right side of the plane of symmetry 36 , and the bristles 8 are touching the front surface of the teeth on the right 40 .
- This motion will generally rotate the accelerometer 27 so that it passes through the plane of symmetry 36 .
- the longitudinal axis 38 of the toothbrush 4 will now make a second angle ⁇ 2 with the plane of symmetry 36 .
- ⁇ 1 and ⁇ 2 will be different for different users. Some users will hold the toothbrush 4 substantially horizontal with respect to the user's mouth 34 , in each of the first 41 and second 33 orientations. In this instance, ⁇ 1 and ⁇ 2 will be separated by approximately 180°.
- FIG. 4 illustrates the third 43 and fourth 45 orientations of the toothbrush 4 corresponding to the top surface of the bottom teeth 46 and bottom surface of the top teeth 44 respectively.
- the user will tend to rotate their hand through nearly 180°, turning the orientation of the toothbrush 4 so that the bristles 8 are touching the bottom surface of the top teeth 44 , and are generally parallel to direction ‘B’ along the plane of symmetry 36 .
- This motion will generally rotate the accelerometer 27 about the longitudinal axis 38 of the toothbrush 4 .
- This orientation will be substantially similar for the bottom surface of the top teeth on the left and right sides of the mouth.
- FIG. 5 illustrates the fifth 47 and sixth 49 orientations of the toothbrush 4 corresponding to the inside surface of the top 50 and bottom 52 teeth respectively.
- a horizontal plane 48 can be defined with respect to the user's mouth 34 . This plane 48 divides the mouth 34 in half, each half representing the top and bottom of the mouth 34 .
- the user will tend to rotate their hand, flipping the orientation of the toothbrush 4 so that the tip 6 of the toothbrush 4 is now on the lower side of the horizontal plane 48 , and the bristles 8 are touching the inside surface of the bottom teeth 52 .
- This motion will generally rotate the accelerometer 27 so that it passes through the horizontal plane 48 .
- the longitudinal axis 38 of the toothbrush 4 will now make an angle ⁇ 4 with the horizontal plane 48 .
- ⁇ 3 and ⁇ 4 will be different for different users. Some users will hold the toothbrush 4 substantially vertical with respect to the user's mouth 34 , in each of the fifth 47 and sixth 49 orientations. In this instance, ⁇ 3 and ⁇ 4 will be separated by approximately 180°.
- the determination of the toothbrush orientations by the processors 29 can be used as inputs to control a game on a mobile device 1 , turning the toothbrush 4 into a game controller. This provides visual feedback to the user, via the display screen 3 of the mobile device 1 , about the orientation of their toothbrush 4 .
- a software application run on the mobile device 1 is configured to translate specific brushing motions into motions of an object 9 within the game.
- the position of the object 9 in the game has a one to one correlation with the orientation of the toothbrush 4 in space. Changes in the orientation of the toothbrush 4 directly correspond to changes in the position of the object 9 in the game.
- the object 9 in the game is used to navigate a level and collect rewards.
- the software application measures and records in-game performance and relates it to brushing techniques.
- the game helps users to brush teeth regularly and to take care to brush all areas of the mouth equally by encouraging users to beat previous scores.
- FIGS. 8 a -8 b show a flow chart outlining how the software application works.
- a user starts the software application S 10 on the mobile device 1 .
- the software application then allows the user to select his character S 11 .
- Different users' profiles may be stored using the same software application.
- the user is presented with various options.
- the user has the option to control various aspects of the game under a ‘Settings’ menu S 12 , including the level of game difficulty S 14 , the music S 15 , and the duration of the game S 13 .
- the user is also able to view their brushing history and previous statistics relating to brushing S 16 . These statistics include, but are not limited to, which area of the mouth is being brushed, how long each area is being brushed for, how fast the user is brushing each area, and total time spent brushing teeth.
- the user can also check how many points they have scored to date, and where they feature on a leader board S 17 of other users with the same software app. Stored points can be spent at an app store S 18 to unlock new game features, for example a new level.
- the software application When a user is ready, they can select the game they wish to play on the software application S 19 . The user must then connect their toothbrush 4 to the toothbrush holder 10 , which contains the sensors that provides the game with orientation data, S 20 . Once the toothbrush 4 and toothbrush holder 10 are connected, the software application will connect S 21 to the toothbrush holder 10 via the Bluetooth Low Energy module 25 .
- the game will begin to play, a timer will start and a new score count for that session will begin.
- the game will begin recording information about how the user is brushing their teeth S 23 .
- the game is paused S 25 . If the user then resumes brushing their teeth within a certain time limit, the game is resumed S 26 . If the user fails to resume brushing their teeth within the time limit, the game will be quit. Alternatively the user can chose to exit the game themselves S 27 . Once the game has been exited, brushing data for that session is recorded and can be accessed by the user later S 41 .
- the processors 29 output the current location of the toothbrush 4 in the mouth 34 .
- Each orientation corresponds to a different location in the mouth 34 .
- the location of the toothbrush 4 in the mouth 34 is converted into a position of an object 9 within the game.
- the position of a controllable object 9 in the game directly relates to the orientation of the toothbrush 4 .
- This visual representation allows the user to clearly see where they are brushing.
- the object 9 in the game will move from a first position 11 to a second position 13 .
- the image being displayed to the user during game play therefore changes according to where in the mouth 34 the user is brushing S 30 .
- In-game obstacles or collectables may be strategically placed at particular positions in the game. As these positions correspond to particular regions, and orientations, of the toothbrush 4 in the user's mouth 34 , the user is discouraged or encouraged to brush in a particular location. In this way the game can be used to instruct the user to brush different regions of the mouth.
- In-game rewards are earned by the user brushing the mouth for longer S 31 , brushing all areas of the mouth adequately S 32 , and achieving a certain brushing speed S 33 .
- the rewards are designed to promote good oral hygiene by encouraging the user to brush at optimum speeds for recommended amounts of time.
- the in-game image being displayed will change and points will be taken off the cumulative score for that session, encouraging the user to speed up S 34 .
- the displayed image will change encouraging the user to change where in the mouth they are brushing S 35 .
- the game is ended and the user can view their score and information about how they were brushing their teeth S 40 . Brushing data for that session is then recorded and available for the user to access later S 41 .
- Information that may be of interest includes whether the toothbrush orientation system 2 is on or off, the battery life, and whether the toothbrush system 2 is connected to the software application.
- An LED light system 31 is located within the internal casing 26 of the toothbrush holder 10 .
- the LED light system 31 includes at least one coloured light (not shown) and at least one white light (not shown).
- the second, lower portion 13 of the internal casing 26 is constructed of a material that allows light to pass through it, allowing the user to see any light being emitted by the LEDs. Light being emitted by the LEDs will cause an external part of the toothbrush holder 10 to glow.
- the user can either use voice commands or a series of physical commands that have been programmed into the LED light system 31 .
- the processors 29 process the input from the user and the LEDs communicate information about the status of the device via blinking, pulsing, flashing etc., and using different colours.
- Physical commands include tapping the base 12 of the toothbrush holder 10 on a surface, the taps corresponding to a programmed set of instructions.
- FIG. 9 illustrates some commands that may be programmed and the corresponding signal emitted by the LEDs.
- the toothbrush orientation system 2 is turned on or off by tapping the base 12 twice within a certain time limit. If the system 2 turns on, LEDs will gradually increase in brightness from off to on S 73 . If the system turns off, LEDs will gradually fade from on to off S 74 . If the user taps the base 12 on a surface once, information about the status of the toothbrush system 2 will be communicated to the user. If the system 2 is already on the LEDs will emit three blinks S 70 . If the system 2 is off then no light will be emitted S 71 .
- a pulse of light will be emitted for a predetermined length of time S 72 . If the system 2 is loading, or in the process of connecting to the software application, a solid light will be displayed for a predetermined length of time S 75 . If the user speaks the name of the orientation system 2 , the LEDs will emit 3 flashes, indicating it is ready to be used S 76 .
- the colour of light emitted by the LEDs depends on the amount of charge in the battery. If the battery is fully charged, the LEDs will emit white light. Once the battery has reached a sufficiently low level of charge, the LEDs will emit a coloured light to inform the user that the battery needs to be charged.
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Abstract
Description
g x,new=coeff·g x,old+(1−coeff)accelx, (1)
where gx,new is the newly calculated x component of gravity, gx,old is the previous value of the x component of gravity, accelx is the current value of the acceleration in the x direction, and coeff is the filter coefficient.
linearx=accelx −g x,new, (3)
where linearx is the x component of linear acceleration. The linear acceleration in the y and z directions can be calculated in a similar way.
Claims (20)
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GB1514668.1 | 2015-08-18 | ||
GB1514668.1A GB2541416B (en) | 2015-08-18 | 2015-08-18 | Toothbrush holder |
PCT/GB2016/050864 WO2017029469A1 (en) | 2015-08-18 | 2016-03-29 | Toothbrush orientation system |
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US20180247565A1 US20180247565A1 (en) | 2018-08-30 |
US10825355B2 true US10825355B2 (en) | 2020-11-03 |
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US (1) | US10825355B2 (en) |
EP (1) | EP3337352B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP6782767B2 (en) |
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US11141252B2 (en) * | 2017-11-17 | 2021-10-12 | Colgate-Palmolive Company | Oral care apparatus |
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US11141252B2 (en) * | 2017-11-17 | 2021-10-12 | Colgate-Palmolive Company | Oral care apparatus |
Also Published As
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GB2546192A (en) | 2017-07-12 |
US20180247565A1 (en) | 2018-08-30 |
JP2018523548A (en) | 2018-08-23 |
JP6782767B2 (en) | 2020-11-11 |
EP3337352A1 (en) | 2018-06-27 |
GB2541416B (en) | 2017-08-23 |
WO2017029469A1 (en) | 2017-02-23 |
GB2541416A (en) | 2017-02-22 |
EP3337352B1 (en) | 2020-05-13 |
GB2546192B (en) | 2018-10-17 |
GB201704063D0 (en) | 2017-04-26 |
GB201514668D0 (en) | 2015-09-30 |
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